Twilight Daylight

by thedarktome

Chapter 30 - Gardeened Relations; Twilight's Tale

Arcadia took a deep breath and then put on her signature smile before walking forward into the food court with Merry, looking at all the sights. Merry pointed up and said, "There are chandeliers in here." Arcadia looked up and gasped at the beautiful giant chandeliers in the court. They twinkled like diamonds but were obviously made out of glass with lights inside of them.

"They're so beautiful," Arcadia whispered before directing her attention down at the restaurants. Gardeen stopped beside her and then yawned once more, reminding her of something important. Arcadia turned to her group and asked, "So... Which one serves coffee?"

"Well they all do at this time of morning," Dark Shadow responded. She motioned towards one restaurant that had the workers grinning from ear to ear right in the front. "This one would serve primarily decaf because they want their customers to eat their food too, which provides most of the nutritional value needed to wake them up." She pointed her hoof again at a neighboring restaurant. There were over fifteen in here. "This one serves them all with a possible bagel and such."

Merry grabbed Gardeen's hoof and pulled her towards one while they explained things to Arcadia. Light Pink motioned towards a menu above one of the restaurants. "The items you choose would be here," she explained timidly.

"So that's the menu," Arcadia asked. She began walking over to get a closer look.

"Yep," Fast Right responded. "I take it Equestria doesn't have this."

"Equestria has menus but not a mall," Arcadia commented as they stopped in front of a restaurant. The employees and staff immediately bowed. "Rise, please. What am I supposed to choose?" She turned to Merry who was making her way back over with a satisfied Gardeen, holding a cup tray on a wing. "I've never tasted any of these things."

"I'll order for you." Merry let Gardeen go and walked around. Then stopped at one and motioned towards Arcadia, speaking to the employees.

"While she's doing that," Gardeen said, having woken up a little. She leaned over and whispered, "...thinkin' about a foal?" Arcadia didn't understand what she was talking about. "I'm not gonna say any names, but a little birdie told me—"

"It was Merry," Arcadia deadpanned.

"Yes it was. She told me that his majesty and you were talking about 'burning up the sheets' this morning?" Arcadia blushed and looked around. Taking a mental note to watch what she and Madun says around the gossiping seamstress. "Don't worry, I won't tell anypony. I'm just hoping you're not a screamer. Because you got yourself a big, sexy stallion." Arcadia plugged her mouth with a hoof.

"And this conversation is over," she groaned. Then pulled back her hoof and said, "I don't like Madun just because he's hot."

"Oh we know. Everypony in Psera knows. That's why you're getting married. But any mare would make use of that packa—" Arcadia plugged her mouth again when Merry walked over with a cup on her left wing.

"I know you brought your own breakfast," she said. "So I just got you a small soup cup. Where we sittin'?"

Lieutenant Sword walked over and saluted. "We have secured a large table, your majesty." She pointed towards a table on the far side of the room that had a noticeable amount of length to it. It wasn't in the middle of the room, but not on the wall either. Just in between those two points. Twilight smiled and proceeded to walk over with her guards taking charge. There was a chair at the end that would supply enough freedom for her large wings. A guard positioned there pulled it out so she could hop on and take a seat. Then softly pushed it back up to the table.

Merry sat in a chair next to her and slid off the cup in front of Arcadia. The royal stared at the top, lifted it in her magic and then sniffed inside. She turned to Merry and asked, "What is this?"

Dark Shadow looked inside and assumed, "It's vegetable. I see asparagus, tomato, carrot, lettuce, and more in this strange world that is this soup."

Gardeen shrugged and picked up her coffee, taking a sip. Or more like gulps. Everyone turned and watched as her head tilted back farther, and farther, and farther. Until she slammed the empty cup back down on the table. Everyone looked down at the cup. Then slowly directed their surprised attention towards Gardeen's satisfied face. She wiped her mouth before Arcadia chuckled and asked, "You really enjoy your coffee, huh?"

Gardeen nodded and said in a smooth tone, "Coffee is life."

Arcadia shrugged and then grabbed a spoon in her magic. Her breakfast was beside the cup that she put the spoon into. She would eat that later. Arcadia was anxious to see what the fast food was like in Psera. She pulled the spoon out and opened her mouth to take a sip. Then noticed the room got real quiet. She froze and glanced around. Every single pony was staring at her save for the guards. Merry silently motioned for her to take a sip already. Arcadia bounced her eyebrows then lifted the spoon to her lips, taking a sip. Spicy. It was spicy, the first thought that came into her mind. Not too spicy where she would choke, but spicy enough that it was noticeable and the flavor would bounce around on her tongue.

She took another sip. Then another before smiling and nodding at Merry, who stood up and yelled, "Lady Arcadia likes the Tangy Vegetable Soup!"

The employees at one of the restaurants, whom had all gathered outside to see Arcadia's reaction, all sighed in relief. She enjoyed their soup.

---

After breakfast, which lasted a good two hours of talking and eating, Lieutenant Sword relayed to everyone on her channel that the group was heading to a clothing store on the third level, and that they were taking the stairs. While they climbed, Arcadia asked a question. "Merry... What is it with you and clothes?"

Merry gasped in surprise. "Clothes say everything about a pony, Lady Arcadia!" She answered loudly, not believing her ears. "Their past, their future, their views, their beliefs! I can spot a wannabe mare from a mile away if I assess their style!"

Gardeen shook her head and commented, "I thought it was the attitude that defines a pony."

"Which the attitude can then be defined by their dress."

Arcadia chuckled and walked along the second floor, behind her guards. "Your sense of fashion is impeccable, Merry. Don't change."

"Couldn't even if I wanted to!" While they walked many ponies waved, bowed, and smiled at Arcadia, who merely waved in response. Arcadia was actually becoming a little annoyed with the royal treatment. Yes, she was about to become a royal of Psera officially. Then would be granted title Queen Arcadia Nova of Psera. But besides that, she was just a regular pony... that had magic and large wings that made her look fat to a foal.

"Still thinking about what that filly said in Equestria, huh?" She looked over at Gardeen who was giving her a sad smile.

Arcadia sighed and faced forward again, waving to three more ponies who bowed out of respect once more. "How'd you guess?"

"You were growling." Arcadia stopped and turned to her in surprise. "Oh, and your face took on that upset expression that you made when she first said it."

"...yeah, I guess. It wasn't so much me thinking about what happened in Equestria..." She sighed again and looked around.

"Arcadia, how many times do I have to say it? Or Madun has to say it? It wasn't your fault."

Merry walked up in concern. "What's going on?"

"Nothing really," Arcadia quickly replied.

Gardeen sighed and answered, "When we went to Equestria, we had an unexpected visitor who apparently had a massive crush on Arcadia. And had tried to make his move. Well she got annoyed and lashed out at him. Like, buried him in the ground lashed out. He teleported away with his tail between his legs and ears drooped. And Arcadia feels bad about it. Madun and I assured her that it wasn't her fault, but she still feels guilty about it."

"Oh..." Merry looked over at Arcadia, who was trying to block her gaze with a wing. She lifted a hoof to her chin and hummed. Then came up with a brilliant idea. "Change of plans! We're going to the massage parlor! Right now!"

***

Arcadia yelped when one of the masseuses pressed on a tense area behind her wings. She, along with the other girls were all lying on large tables next to each other with a few inches to spare. Arcadia's was specially made so she could get her wings "stretched and pressed". Which meant apparently to crack and break her wings. "Easy back there, please," she moaned.

"Sorry, your highness," her masseuse responded. She grabbed the wing and rubbed along the many joints. "Your wings are just very tense and may be painful to loosen. You should relax more often."

Arcadia chuckled and said, "Apparently I work too much. And Merry decided to treat me."

Merry sighed in relief from the very end when her masseuse cracked a joint, providing relief. "Ohhh, yeah. That feels great. keep doing that. Hey, Gardeen. You doin' alright down there? I know my girls are doing great because Pink is sleep, Shadow's zoned, and her sister's somehow not talking for once."

"Hey," Fast Right moaned while her back was chopped. "I don't talk that much."

Gardeen giggled at the same time her back was pressed. "I'm okay," she answered. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. But let's start a conversation. Dark? You see any cute stallions?" All the mares fawned over and focused on her blushing face.

"Uhhh....Th-That's none of your concern—mmm that feels great," she stammered, moaning in relief. "Yeah, I mean... I saw some of the stallions here at the mall. Okay, fine I'll tell! Remember the Happy Heights restaurant?" The girls nodded. "It was the dark green stallion with the goatee. Oh my Psera...." She started fanning herself while the other girls giggled. "I already know Pink saw somepony." They all looked towards the snoring Pseratep, oblivious to their words.

"I thought she liked mares," Fast commented, taking both Arcadia and Gardeen in surprise. They glanced at each other, then grinned at Pink.

"I know," Merry responded. "Hey, Pink! Wake up!" The Light Pink Pseratep groaned and cracked open her eyes. Then directed her attention to Merry.

"What is it, Merry?" She asked tiredly.

"Who were you talking about at the court that held food again?"

"Oh—wait!" She nearly sat up before remembering that she was getting a massage. Her pink cheeks suddenly turned red. She leaned over and whispered in alarm, "You told them?"

Dark Shadow scoffed and waved a hoof. "Pink, we all know you're a lesbian. Except her majesty." Everyone turned to Arcadia, Pink literally shivering in fear.

Arcadia lifted a hoof and giggled. "I don't mind if a friend likes mares," she appeased happily. "As long as you're happy. So... Who's this pony?"

Pink started rubbing her hooves together and looked away, taking on a Fluttershy state of shyness. Arcadia kept her grin on with everyone else, waiting for Pink's reaction. She instead stayed silent. "Okay, you don't have to tell us. It's your business."

Dark motioned towards Gardeen and said, "What about you? Any stallions that—"

"I'm not into dating," Gardeen interrupted, matter-of-factly. "Sorry." Arcadia glanced over at her in worry. She quickly shut down Merry's question. What happened? Gardeen laid down once again, avoiding Merry's questionable gaze.

"Oh," Merry said after a moment of silence. "Well, er.... I can't really ask Arcadia about—Okay, I'm sorry, but I have to know. Why aren't you into dating?" She asked desperately. "I thought you of all ponies would like a young stallion. Or mare."

Gardeen sighed and sat up once again. "Well, I'm not into mares," she added. "But.... I just don't date anymore. Maybe someday when I can trust stallions again."

Arcadia felt a story coming on. She settled down and raised a hoof to the masseuse behind her, stopping her movements. Then directed her attention to Gardeen. "Did something happen in a past relationship?"

"Yeah. Past relationships. Plural. Four guys, same thing. My first relationship was with a stallion who had a great job, a wonderful personality. When I first met him. Eleven months in, I find him with another mare who had her disgusting flank up in the air and him behind it. I grabbed my things and left." Pink gasped and reached over to grab her hoof, rubbing it sadly. Arcadia huffed and growled. Gardeen did not deserve to be treated that way. "Next I met a stallion who I knew from high school. Turns out he had a crush on me, and I kind of had a little thing for him. So we went for a moment. Well after maybe six months, I caught him talking to another mare who I later found out he was dating with on the side. Ended it. My next one... I don't even want to talk about it really."

"You don't have to," Arcadia suggested.

"Well anyway, two more instances happened. All four of those guys were jerks and I promised myself I'd never date again." Gardeen sighed and relaxed into her pity-filled massage. "It's like there's a club that has a motto, 'Cheat on Gardeen with a much better mare. She looks good and her flank's great. But this one's better.'"

"Long motto," Dark muttered.

"So I just shut myself off from dating." She looked around at the other girls in sadness. "Is.... Is there something wrong with me? Like, I try. I tried so hard to make those relationships work, but..." She sniffled when a tear rolled down her face.

"There's absolutely nothing wrong with you," Arcadia immediately appeased her. She lifted a wing and wiped the tear off of her face. "A lot of ponies don't see the greatness in many things unless it's right in their faces. Let me tell you a story." Arcadia sat up and straightened herself, looking at Gardeen with a smile. Everyone else in the room listened in, including the masseuses who were multitasking. "In a land far away from this border. There was a mare seeking a life. A place to call her own away from the struggles of her current life, and the pain that came with it. She's been hurt and pushed down so much, that she decided to just stay indoors and cut herself off from everypony. She decided to never have a relationship of any kind with anypony. Well one night, a knock on her door woke her up from the realms of sleep. She opened the door and there was a stallion standing there.

"He said, 'Ma'am, I couldn't help but notice you were crying.' She replied with, 'I wasn't crying, I was sleeping.' He said that she was crying in her sleep and that if she had any issues that she could talk to him. Then he left. Ten days later, the mare woke up and decided to take him up on his offer. However, she didn't know his name. She searched the city and asked ponies where he was. Using his description. But apparently, there was nopony there that recognized him. But she continued searching, eventually taking her to the outside of town where a little cottage sat, right in front of the sunset. When she knocked on the front door it immediately opened. Finding it as an invitation, she walked inside and looked around." The masseuses had stopped their ministrations and were now listening intently.

"What happened next?" Gardeen asked.

Arcadia chuckled and answered, "When she walked in, she found flowers upon flowers upon flowers inside. There was also a large banner in the room that had her name attached with flowers. And the pony that she met on her front porch was sitting underneath it, gesturing to a window that displayed the setting sun. He said, 'As you can see, I've been waiting for you.' She asked, 'What is all this?' Completely on the verge of tears, for this stranger had taken the time out of his day to make sure a few hours were special for her. He said, 'I know you've been having a hard time. So I wanted to help you make up your mind in what you want. What you're looking for could be out there with the sunset, or here with the flowers. Which one do you think is better?' She answered that the decision was hard to make because she knew that the land she lived on was much more familiar than the land beyond the border. He replied that whatever decision she chose, that there would always be beauty amidst the ugly. All she had to do was wait. And it'd come to her. A few months later after plenty of dates and emotions, they got married and had two foals, both girls. Named Celestia and Luna. The two primary Princess of Equestria. So you see Gardeen." She reached out and grabbed Gardeen's hoof. "Even though somepony had broken your heart, someponies—excuse me—all you have to do is wait. Eventually, you will find the pony for you. Whether it be a mare, or a stallion. If you like mares, that's okay. There is nothing wrong with you."

Gardeen blanched and looked over at Pink who had her head turned, then focused back on Arcadia. "But what if I don't like the stallion? Or...mare?"

Arcadia smiled lovingly and answered, "Then we could always ask Merry to set you up. I know she'd be happy to."

"Ah, yeah!" Merry cheered. She pointed at Pink and said, "She's open for business. Go shopping with her. I'm sure Pink would love to hear more about your book that you're writing."

Pink gasped and blushed. But asked, "You're writing a book? Oh, what kind?"

Arcadia giggled while one of her guards walked over and whispered in her ear. After he pulled back, Arcadia craned her neck and looked out the door of the shop, spotting a few ponies at the door. Sighing, she slinked out of the bed and stretched her wings, catching her friends' attention. Merry asked in horror, "Are we leaving already?!"

"No," Arcadia appeased as she made her way to the door. "Just a small group waiting for me outside. I'll be right back." Arcadia and four guards walked out of the room and into the lobby of the parlor. The doors for the entrance were watched by four more guards, keeping a close eye on their environment around Arcadia as she walked out, and the class of foals Arcadia met with earlier. she gasped in surprise and grinned at the banner they were holding. It was large, white, and long. They had her name up there that read "Arcadia Nova Is...." with a few more words and drawing all over it. There were also names on it as well. along with a child like scribble of her and the class.

"Oh my goodness!" She exclaimed. Then walked over and got a closer look. "Is this for me?"

All the foals cheered out either yes, uh huh, yep, or something else that basically meant yes. The tour guide stepped forward and said, "While were on our way to the park for lunch, one of them started talking about how 'Lady Arcadia was so nice that she deserved a present'. So they all put their minds together and decided to make you a banner of some sort that displayed your interaction with them."

"Aww that is so sweet!" Arcadia grasped the banner in her magic and looked it over, grinning. Then looked down at the foals. "Thank you so much! I love it! I'm going to hang this up in my office when I get back to the castle this evening so I can see it everyday when I walk in."

"You're welcome, Lady Arcadia!" They responded. Then waved their hooves and wings, saying bye so they could go to lunch.

Arcadia turned around and called for Lieutenant Sword. She stepped forward and saluted. "I need this taken back to the castle immediately. Carry with special care."

"Yes, ma'am. Would you like it in a glass box and placed..."

"In my office, yes. Take it with special care, please. These foals worked really hard on this."

"You can count on us, ma'am."

Author's Note:

I hope you guys loved the tale of Celestia and Luna's parents. Sorry, I didn't give them any names. Didn't think Faust worked well with this. Or.... whoever else I could have picked. What did you guys think of it?

Comments

[HeartfireFirebrand]

Maybe due to Equestria's connection to Greek Myth their parents could be Apollo god of the Sun and Artemis Goddess of the Night.

[White_Rose]

Gardeen nodded and said in a smooth tone, "Coffee is life."

Truest statement ever told

[Rubae]

I feel Arcadia has become the Faust for Spera(sorry if I misspelled that). I get that there were other great leaders before her, but I feel like the nation is resetting to an extent with Arcadia as the well-known and loved Queen.

[Pharaoh]

"So I just shut myself off from dating." She looked around at the other girls in sadness. "Is.... Is there something wrong with me? Like, I try. I tried so hard to make those relationships work, but..." She sniffled when a tear rolled down her face.

It's called being a terrible judge of character.